The Five Principles Homelessness: from Street to Stability
Theory of change: We advocate a human-first approach recognizing that people experiencing homelessness suffer trauma, but most can recover, rebuild their lives, and, in many cases, become self-supporting. To make that possible, our community must change how it funds, organizes, and delivers homeless services based on results, including the number of people helped, quality of care, success rate, cost per person, and long-term recovery.
The Five Principles outline a human‑first, outcomes‑driven approach to addressing homelessness in Multnomah County. They call for unified leadership, coordinated outreach, whole‑person care, evidence‑based prevention, and the protection of our shared public spaces. This framework represents a fundamental shift in how budgets, policies, and programs are structured replacing fragmented efforts with a single, accountable system that leads with compassion and measurable results.
Compassion and accountability are not opposites, they are partners.
